CREATIVE MATHEMATICS

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CREATIVE MATHEMATICS

• Young childrens meanings and understandings of
  mathematical ideas take place in an action-based
  learning environment as they use concrete
  materials as tools with which to think and talk.
• All young children need opportunities to explore
  their world and experience mathematics through
  their play.
• Teachers in any setting can help children look
  for mathematical discussion about topics that
  interest children.

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DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN OF LEARNING MATHEMATICAL
IDEAS

• The pattern of early use of number is similar to
  the general-to-specific pattern of physical
  growth.
• The child has a general understanding of numbers
  which will gradually move towards a more specific
  understanding as the developmental process
  continues.
• Children learn with their senses, with their
  whole bodies.
• The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  has developed a set of Principles and Standards
  for Children Pre-K (1998).
• These standards propose mathematical content and
  processes students should know and be able to
  use as they progress through school.
• There are 10 standards, 5 content standards and 5
  process standards which apply across the pre-K-12
  grade span.
• Within each standard, a number of focus areas are
  identifies to be emphasized at each grade level.

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MATHEMATICS IN THE MOVEMENT CENTER

• Specific kinds of learning experiences in the
  movement center fall under the three National
  Mathematics content standards of number and
  operation, measurement, and spatial sense.
• Moving their bodies through space, help children
  learn specific mathematical concepts.
• Playtime allow these children many chances to
  explore, extend, and refine their spatial
  discoveries.
• The children laying on the trampoline are
  learning to share power, space, things, and ideas
  as well as using counting for access and
  comparing their jumping skills by measuring in a
  nonthreating way.

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MATHEMATICS AT THE WATER TABLE

• Play with water can lead to progression in
  mathematical thought,
• The water play tend to be flexible and in the end
  they help to develop their measurement thinking.
• MATHEMATICS IN THE HOME CENTER
• Children in the home center use play to translate
  their understanding of adult activities into
  their own actions.
• Play activity also involve intelligence.
• MATHEMATICS IN THE ART CENTER
• Many incidental earnings related to mathematics
  occur during art activities.
• As art projects are planned, children learn to
  consider the number of items needed and often the
  shapes that will be required.
• This experience relates directly to
  problem-solving and measurement-two of the
  content standards in the National Mathematical
  Standards for children.
• By including different art projects, children can
  have fun, hand-on learning experiences involving
  the mathematical concept of shape, measurement,
  and problem solving.

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MATHEMATICS IN THE BLOCK CENTER

• The block center is a perfect place for math
  experiences.
• They are especially good for learning math
  because they are real-life examples of geometric
  shapes and solids.
• To encourage rich, and varied mathematical
  experiences in the block center, teachers needs
  to carefully plan the appropriate equipment in
  this center.
• Block-building is a tremendously satisfying
  activity that nourishes minds, imaginations, and
  the developmental of mathematical concepts.
• A child building with blocks has many experiences
  related to math, such as
• Classification
• Order
• Length
• Area
• Volume
• Number
• Shape
• Both small and large motor skills are also
  developed as children play with blocks.

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• Cleanup in the block center is another good
  chance to practice math skills. The following
  suggestions can help you make this cleanup a true
  learning experience
• Ask children to pick up all of the blocks that
  are curved.
• Ask children to pick up blocks of 3 different
  lengths.
• Ask children to pick up or put away blocks
  according to size
• Ask children to pick up blocks similar or
  different to a specific block that the cleanup
  director names.
• Ask children to put away blocks in groups of
  twos, threes, etc.
• Select certain people to put away certain shapes.
• Ask children to pick up a number of blocks that
  are greater or less than the number of blocks the
  cleanup director is holding

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MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTSDEFINATIONS AND RELATED
ACTIVITIES

• NUMBERS
• Rote Counting
• Children before the age of 3 yrs, count to ten in
  a proper order.
• It is similar to the stage in the developmental
  of speech when a child can repeat words without
  really understanding their meaning.
• Rational Counting
• Is a higher-level number understanding and
  develops slowly for most children.
• Is not possible until the child understand
  one-to-one correspondence. So as rote counting
  develops, teachers should encourage the skills of
  one-to-one correspondence.
• Cardinal Numbers
• Are numbers with names e.g. the number one, two,
  etc.
• Ordinal Number
• Refers to the place of an object in a series of
  numbers.

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• CLASSIFICATION AND SORTING
• Classification and sorting activities are the
  beginning that help children perceive a variety
  of relationships among thing in the world.
• Classification. Putting together things that are
  alike or that belong together is one of the
  processes necessary for developing the concept of
  number.
• Children progress through the following stages as
  they develop the skill of classifying
• Sorting into graphic collections without a plan
  in mind.
• Grouping with no apparent plan.
• Sorting on the basis of some criterion.
• Next, children can create grouping on the basis
  of two or more properties.
• Finally children sort objects or events according
  to function, use, or on the basis of a negative
  concept.

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• Before children can classify and sort, they need
  to understand concepts such as belongingness
  put together
• alike and belong together.
• These concept are acquired over time as children
  have varied hand-on experience in the early
  childhood programs.
• Teachers role is to help children gain these
  ideas through a variety of experience with a wide
  variety of materials.

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• COMPARING
• The skill of comparing seems to come easily and
  naturally, especially when it is a personal
  comparison.
• Different size and shapes container used in sand
  and water play along with stories , poems and
  folk tales offer opportunities for informal
  comparison.
• ORDERING (SERIATION)
• Ordering the environment into series begin when
  children are very young and continues throughout
  adult life.
• The intervention of an adult, suitable materials,
  and appropriate language lead to refinement of
  these early basic concept.
• The teacher can make ordering a part of natural
  discussion in relation to the childrens play and
  activities.
• Teachers role is also to provide materials and
  sufficient time.
• SHAPES AND FORMS
• Children need many experience with shapes and
  making comparisons between shapes before they
  focus on naming shapes.
• As new shape is understood, other shapes may be
  added.

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MATHEMATICS GRADES 3-5

• Students in grades 3-5 see mathematics as
  practical and are challenged with many new ideas,
  and believe that what they are learning is
  important.
• Sometimes between grades 4 and 8 students
  interest in mathematics begin to wane.
• It is crucial that the mathematics education in
  the upper elementary and early middle grades be
  challenging, relevant, and engaging for students.
• The curriculum materials and instructional
  approaches a teacher uses help students connect
  mathematical ideas and provide a basis for making
  them meaningful.
• Although number and operation continue to be
  cornerstones of the curriculum in grades 3-5,
  each of the content standard is essential for
  building student knowledge at this level.
• Knowledge and use of mathematical processes
  should be deepened and expanded in these grades.
• Since students in grades 3-5 are capable of
  sophisticated reasoning , they should be
  challenged and supported in their learning.
• Extending understanding from whole numbers to
  fractions and decimals is a key dimension of the
  3-5 grade mathematics curriculum.

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• CALCULATOR GRADES 3-5
• The calculator and a variety of computer software
  should be considered legitimate tools for
  learning and doing math and should be available
  to students in grades 3-5.
• Teacher should create opportunities and make
  judgments about when and how these tools are used
  to support learning.
• Calculators cannot replace the need for quick
  recall of basic facts, a basic understanding of
  math concepts, or the ability to formulate and
  use strategies for computing
• Rather calculator should support these goals by
  enhancing and stimulating student learning.